


Entanglement

by GillyTweed



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Baby Beau, Beau gets to have loving lesbian parents, F/F, Fluff, Jester will get a bestie at a young age, This is the weirdest AU I've ever come up with, Yasha's time with the Mighty Nein was a dream, eventual Beau/Jester, no editing we die like men, or was it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-17 22:51:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17569454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GillyTweed/pseuds/GillyTweed
Summary: Yasha woke to the rumble of thunder, deep and rolling, and the hiss and patter of rain upon the wood roof of the cabin. It was still dark, early enough that she could turn over and catch another hour of sleep or so, but her heart pounded and sweat beaded on her skin. Flashes of her dream rolled in her mind, faces, events, feelings, all jumbled and twisting into a knot of confusion. Swallowing, she turned over, sighing in relief when she caught sight of Zuala’s tangle of brown hair peeking out from her side of the blankets. It was just a dream... wasn't it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably the weirdest AU I've ever come up with, but I love it far more than I probably should. It came out of the question “What thing can I change in a characters past that will give them a better life overall?” and that turned into Yasha waking up next to her wife with her travels with the Nein being a dream. Also, Beau gets loving lesbian parents and Jester gets a bestie at a young age.

Yasha woke to the rumble of thunder, deep and rolling, and the hiss and patter of rain upon the wood roof of the cabin. It was still dark, early enough that she could turn over and catch another hour of sleep or so, but her heart pounded and sweat beaded on her skin.

Flashes of her dream rolled in her mind, faces, events, feelings, all jumbled and twisting into a knot of confusion. Swallowing, she turned over, sighing in relief when she caught sight of Zuala’s tangle of brown hair peeking out from her side of the blankets. Sitting up, she scrubs at her face.

The dream felt so real, but it was impossible. Zuala was here, alive, and their clan leader had married them herself. Closing her eyes, she tries to remember more details of the dream, but they slip away like puffs of mist on a breeze. All she remembers are faces, several in ever changing expressions, like she knew how they looked in every mood. Happy, angry, sad.

She shook herself, sucking in a deep breath of damp morning air before pushing aside her blankets and getting up to start her day. She moved about their small home, stoking the fire and preparing a few vegetables and eggs from their single chicken for breakfast. Zuala joined her shortly, awoken by the low clatter of dishes and the smell of cooking food.

“You’re up early.” Zuala commented, pressing a kiss to her cheek before nudging Yasha away with her hip so she could take over the cutting of the vegetables. “Everything alright?”

Yasha remained silent for a long moment, her thoughts still jumbled. “I… had an odd dream.” It didn’t take long to relay what she could remember, Zuala’s death, the God of the Storm, the group of people she met, little details she found interesting like the purple and blue of the two tieflings skin, or the oddness of the monk keeping her strong affection hidden. “It felt so real… and when I woke up to thunder I was almost convinced it was.”

Zuala hummed, obviously amused. “You have quite the imagination.” Finished with the vegetables, she brought them over to the fire and handed them to Yasha to add to the eggs. Wrapping her arms around broad shoulders, she pressed another kiss to Yasha’s cheek. “But I am alive, and here with you.”

Another kiss punctuated her point, making Yasha chuckle and relax into her lover. “Yes, I know,” She paused before turning to look at Zuala, voice ernest. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” This time, Zuala pulled her into a full kiss, pressing their lips together tenderly. It made Yasha sigh and relax even further, the anxiety from her dream melting away. Pulling away, Zuala playfully tugged at one of Yasha’s braids. “I’ll be going to the market to trade some of the left over eggs, is there anything we need?”

Yasha hummed in thought, happy to turn the conversation to the everyday. “Uh, we’re running low on salt, but that’s all I can think of.” Another quick kiss and a hum of affirmation, then they fell into their usual routine, a calm breakfast, light conversation, but Yasha couldn’t help but feel a small nudge at the edge of her consciousness, a call for attention, or a reminder, she couldn’t tell.

* * *

Thunder rumbled above her, and the gentle nudge against her consciousness came again. Poking, prodding, trying to make her pay attention. Yasha sighed and pulled her hood further over her head, trying to ignore the insistent feeling. She had work to do, a trap line to check and wild vegetables to gather.

The towering, gnarled trees of the forest blocked some of the rain, but the lack of dense foliage meant the meager cover made little difference as the sheets of water came down. The ground, marshy on the best of days, was quickly becoming churned up mud that sucked at her boots.

The first few traps she visited didn’t hold much, a squirrel here, a rabbit there, but nothing that would feed her and Zuala for more than a day. Finally, after an hour or so, she came to the clearing that had the only solid land for at least a mile.

In the ring of trees was a large lump of stone and earth, solid despite its waterlogged surroundings, with a spire of rock jutting at an angle to create a small overhang. Trudging up the small slope, she tucked herself underneath the rock, enjoying that little bit of relief from the harsh wind.

Thunder rumbled even louder now, sounding almost irritated. Huffing, she leaned back against the rock and closed her eyes. It was a dream. Only a dream, but if this… whatever it was wasn’t going to stop bugging her until she responded, fine.

The bits of her dream that she could remember had faded, but she felt a surge of inexplicable affection when small flashes of faces drifting to the surface of her mind. Taking a deep breath, she pushed past that, searching for the little nudge. The thing she was almost certain was the Storm Lord.

Thunder rumbled again, louder, but with a pleased air.

‘What do you want? My dream didn’t really happen.’ Her thoughts felt like she was shouting through water, but another rumble of thunder answered her, soft words intertwined within the noise.

“You’ve been given a new world. A second chance.” Lighting struck a nearby tree, the crack deafening as the air was filled with the smell of fire and ozone. She nearly leapt up, the groan and crack of the tree as it fell too close for comfort, but her muscles felt frozen as more words whispered in her ear. “For all of you.”

The rain seemed to come down harder as the wind picked up and the burning tree fell to the ground in a cacophony of snapping wood, the trunk burning only a few feet away. However, through all the din, a new noise grabbed her interest: the low, keening cry of a child.

Finding her body released from it’s frozen state, she pushed herself up. Despite the rage of the storm, the cry was clear and easy to follow, her search aided by a gentle tug in her chest. She found the source quickly. Tucked in a small fissure on the other side of the large rock, just barely shielded from the wind and rain, was a small baby wrapped in a cobalt blue blanket. Yasha had to pause for a moment, a knot suddenly tightening in her chest. The baby’s dark skin and brown wisps of hair called up faint images, memories from her dream, of a sharp cocky grin and a rush of warm affection.

“Beauregard…” She murmured under her breath, the name unbidden but natural on her lips. Reaching down, she laid a gentle hand on the baby’s chest. The child paused it’s crying for a moment, sniffling and scrunching her face before blinking up at her to reveal brilliant blue eyes. “Hello, Beau...”

Without a thought, she scooped up the baby, blanket and all, into her arms, tucking the small body into the folds of her coat. Miraculously, the action didn’t make the baby start crying again, instead she cooed softly, her small hands reaching up to gently tug on one of her braids.

She wasn’t sure how her dream was connected, but now she was certain about a few things. Her dream was real, a tale from a story that never started. She couldn’t remember much of it, small details or impressions, but the ones she did remember were significant. Lastly, she was certain this baby was important, someone she cared for, someone named Beauregard. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuala meets baby Beau and she and Yasha get their first taste of child rearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy Traveler Batman! Is this a new chapter? Yes it is! I'm actually surprised some people enjoyed this.

Zuala had not returned by the time Yasha made it home. It wasn’t very surprising considering Yasha was often out much longer when she went to check the trap line. Beau had remained mostly calm for the entire trek home, keeping herself entertained by sucking on the braid she’d grabbed and only becoming fussy after a few wayward drops of rain had managed to slip between the folds of Yasha’s coat.

Stepping inside had been a relief, as she was able to shed her waterlogged clothes, and stoke up a fire in the hearth to provide some much needed warmth. However, most of this she had to do one handed, as when ever she so much as motioned to put Beau down, the baby became restless. She would tug on her braid or let out a gurgling cry that would escalate to a piercing shriek the further Yasha moved away from her. Eventually, she just gave up and held Beau close as she struggled through her tasks.

“You are a bundle of trouble, aren’t you?” She sighed as she sat down near the fire. Leaning back with a huff, she laid down on the rug in front of the hearth, forgoing the chairs they had, and set Beau on her chest. Beau just gurgled and hiccuped in response as she grabbed at another braid to stick in her mouth.

She really didn’t know what to do with a baby, but Yasha couldn’t help finding it endearing as Beau seemed to settle down on her own, comfortable now that she was warm, dry and near someone she’d deemed safe. It didn’t take long for her to drop off to sleep either, splayed out on Yasha’s chest, a new dry blanket wrapped firmly around her and clutching a drool-damp braid in one of her tiny hands.

Resigned to her role as a makeshift bed, Yasha let herself relax, closing her eyes as she listened to the patter of the rain, the distant rumbles of thunder and the soft crackle of the fire. Everything was calm and peaceful, but she wondered if it would stay that way once Zuala came home.

* * *

The second Zuala opened the door, Beau was awake and crying, startled by the noise and the arrival of a new person. Tiny fists pounded against Yasha’s chest, and she looked helplessly over to her wife.

“I -uh, found something interesting while I was out.” Yasha honestly hadn’t thought about what she was going to say once Zuala came home, as she’d fallen into a light doze herself while Beau slept.

“I can see that.” Zuala’s tone was more curious than anything as she set her bag down and shucked off her own soaking coat. “Where did you find her?”

“Near the spire rock, wrapped in that.” She pointed to the blue blanket hanging above the hearth. “I didn’t want to just leave her there.”

“Of course not,” Zuala moved to sit next to her by the fire, looking inquisitively at the baby. Beau, now sniffling and hiccuping after realizing everything was fine, looked back with big watery eyes. “Oh she’s adorable.” Yasha felt a smile tug at her lips as she watched her wife reach out gently, letting Beau grab ahold of her finger with her tiny hand. “We should take her to see Ovia once the storms dies down. Make sure she’s healthy.”

Yasha hummed in agreement, her eyes still looking at the tiny hand wrapped around her wife’s finger. They sat together in comfortable silence as Beau found new entertainment in Zuala, but it wasn’t long until a low whine built in her throat and quickly became a demanding cry.

“I think she’s hungry.” Zuala stood and moved over to her bag, pulling out a waterskin and returning to sit with them near the fires warmth. “Tavo was kind enough to give us some milk. Good timing it seems.”

Yasha remained silent as was usual, but she did sit up as she tried her best to sooth a squirming Beau while Zuala pulled out a copper pan and began heating the milk over the fire. Beau did settle a little after Yasha tucked her head into the crook of her neck, but it wasn’t long until she heard more small cries. She nearly sighed in relief when Zuala motioned to give her the baby.

Beau fussed a bit during the transition, her face scrunching cutely in confusion until she was cradled comfortably in Zuala’s arms. She settled down almost instantly when a cloth, saturated with warm milk, was brought up to her mouth. Suddenly the only sounds were the hiss of the rain, the crackle of the fire and the gentle sounds of suckling as Beau ate.

Yasha hadn’t even considered having a child until this very moment but the sight of Zuala cradling a baby suddenly had her chest curling into pleasurable knots. Their skin tones were similar, although Zuala’s was a little darker, and Beau had brilliant blue eyes, but to Yasha that didn’t matter. Just the thought of her and her wife caring for a small life together was suddenly very appealing.

“I wonder who her parents are.” Yasha blinked at Zuala’s words, broken from her thoughts. She motioned to the blanket. “Fabric that blue is hard to come by around here. She could be from the Empire.”

Yasha shrugged and shifted a bit to sit closer to her wife. “I do not know, but I didn’t see anyone.”

Zuala hummed in agreement.“Poor thing,” She pauses as Beau made a low whining sound as she grabbed at the cloth and Zuala’s hand to pull it closer. “We’ll need to name her.”

“Beauregard-“ Yasha blurted without restraint. Zuala raised a brow questioningly which made heat rise in her cheeks. “Uh, it felt right?”

Her wife just laughed, shaking her head in amusement. “Beauregard it is then.”

Silence fell upon them again as Zuala turned her attention back to Beau. She dipped the cloth in the warm milk again, Beau squealing indignantly when it was taken away, but calming immediately when it was returned. Eventually, she ate her fill and pushed the cloth away with a satisfied sigh.

Without a word, Zuala handed Yasha the baby and began to clean up the milk and start on making dinner for themselves. Yasha held Beau carefully, placing her against her shoulder and gently rubbed her back. That’s what you did with babies after they ate, wasn’t it?

“We’ll need to get her a diaper of some sort.” Zuala murmured as she brought over some ingredients from their food stores and sat back by the fire again. “We have some extra cloths somewhere, think that will work for the time being?”

“Probably-“ Yasha was about to continue when Beau made a gurgling sound and a sudden wetness seeped down her back. She sighed. “I liked this shirt.”

Zuala burst out laughing, rolling over onto her back, splaying out on the rug as she cackled. Yasha shook her head, unable to contain her own grin as her wife continued to laugh at her misfortune. “Next time she gets to puke on you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come find me in the waste land known as Tumblr @GillyTweed


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yasha and Zuala take Beau to the village healer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, do I have a posting schedule? Whaaat? No, this is just really lucky that I've finished the chapters consistently on Sunday.

Waking up the next morning was an experience. Not unusual, but different rather.

It was still quiet, like most mornings, but Yasha’s usual urge to get up and start the day was, for lack of a better word, delayed. When she opened her eyes, the world was awash in pale darkness, bright enough for the human eye to see, but still cast in the blue tinted shadows of predawn. Beside her, Beau and Zuala slept on.

They didn’t have anywhere else to put her, so, after being dressed in a makeshift diaper and an old shirt, Beau had been swaddled in a blanket and set between them. With their bodies on either side of her, and her limbs trapped by fabric, Yasha and Zuala had been pretty confident Beau wouldn’t end up tumbling off the bed in the middle of the night.

Beau was where they’d first put her, asleep with her mouth hanging wide. One of her arms had escaped the blanket, her tiny fist now raised over her head and gripping the sheets, but beyond that, she hadn’t moved. On Beau’s other side, Zuala had burrowed down into the blankets, only the top of her head and her eyes still visible. The sight brought a small smile to Yasha’s face.

With a wide yawn, she stretched and pulled back the blankets to get up. They had a lot to do today. The most important thing being taking Beau to Ovia, the tribe healer and midwife. A lot of other things depended on if she and Zuala kept Beau, but Yasha really hoped they did.

The little girl had somehow managed to worm her way into her heart and latched on in less than a day, not that Yasha objected. While she’d never really considered children as an option, not even letting herself entertain the idea, she wanted the experience of caring and nurturing someone, to make them feel safe and protected. Beau was an opportunity she never thought she’d have.   
She tried to be as quiet as she could while she shuffled around in the dark trying to get breakfast ready for all of them. Rain still fell outside, but the storm had calmed significantly, leaving the weather a light shower more than anything.

Once the smell of cooking food and the warmth from the hearth had permeated the cabin, Yasha just sat back and waited. Zuala wasn’t one to wake up on her own, usually needing something to help her get up, and that something was more often than not food. Yasha had to hold back a laugh when Beau and Zuala seemed to register the smell at the same time, Beau stretching and letting out a demanding gurgle as Zuala let out a low groan.

“Time to wake up.” She called teasingly as she began to plate their breakfast. Beau let out another squeal, making Zuala to sit up with a huff.

“I hate you sometimes.” Zuala grumbled as she scooped up Beau. She shuffled quickly over to the fire, the wood floors still chilled by the morning air. “You’re lucky you’re cute.” She plopped down and leaned over to press a kiss to Yasha’s cheek before she began to bounce Beau on her lap. Yasha wrinkled her nose as a rancid smell came with them.

She pointed at Beau. “You get to handle that. She ruined my shirt last night.” Zuala frowned, lifting the small baby up and recoiling when she finally smelt it. It was only a matter of time before they had to deal with one of the things that came with small children: Poop.

“Ugh…” Yasha didn’t even have to look. She knew Zuala was pouting at her, trying to guilt her into doing it, and both of them knew that if she looked up from what she was doing, Zuala would win. “Yashaaaaa,” She felt Zuala lean closer, leaning her head against her shoulder.

“No, it’s your turn.” Yasha could feel her face heating up as Zuala leaned closer, an arm snaking to hug around her waist. “I’m not looking at you.” She could feel Zuala’s smile against her arm. “Ugh, fine!” Zuala cheered as Yasha took Beau from her, and hummed happily to herself as she took over cooking. “You owe me for this!”

Only a melodic ‘I love you!’ followed her as she went searching for the rest of their spare cloths.

* * *

The rain had almost stopped when they made their way to Ovia’s house. It was a ways from their cabin, as they had built it partially dug into a low hill on the edge of the village. Ovia, being the tribes main healer, was located right in the centre, near the market.

Zuala had fashioned a small sling to carry Beau. Made from blankets, a waterproofed leather sack and some rope, Beau was wrapped in a mass of warm blankets and snuggly strapped to her chest. Yasha had offered to simply carry her, but Zuala had insisted.

The market wasn’t as busy as it usually was, the rain still keeping most people inside. The ground was churned and uneven, pools of mud and dark water scattered about. Ovia’s hut was luckily one of the few that had a path made of stones, making the ground more stable than most, if a little slippery in the rain.

When they finally got to the door, they didn’t have to wait long after knocking for it to swing open to reveal a short half-elf woman, hair pulled back out of her squinting eyes. She hummed at them consideringly, her lips pursing as she takes them in. Ovia was one of, if not the, oldest women in the village. She was old when Yasha was born, so now she could almost be described as ancient. Her face was lined with wrinkles and her hair was pure white, but she moved around with the energy of a young woman.

“Well, come in.” She says after a long moment, stepping aside to allow them both to duck inside. “What seems to be the problem?” She breezes past them after the door is shut, navigating her cluttered domain with considerable efficiency. Her house is a mess of drying herbs, tattered books and scrolls, and several other things neither Yasha or Zuala knew how to describe. Ovia made her way over to a large table and shoved several piles of junk on to the floor, paying no attention to the loud thuds and crashes that ensued.

Zuala stepped forward. “Yasha found this child when she was out checking the trapline yesterday. We wanted to make sure she was alright.” Ovia hummed again as she squinted at the bundle in Zuala’s arms.

“Alright, put her on the table.” Zuala did as asked, unwrapping the sack and blankets from around Beau. Beau had happily napped on their way into the village, bundled and warm, so she was less than pleased to suddenly be exposed to the cold air of the room. She let out a piercing wail, flailing her arms to emphasis her discomfort.

“She’s definitely got healthy lungs.” Ovia grumbled as she moved to examine her.

Zuala returned to Yasha’s side near the door as Ovia did her work. Yasha wrapped an arm around her without a word, her eyes staying trained on Beau. Ovia quickly stripped Beau of the shirt and the makeshift diaper they’d dressed her in and began her tests, poking and prodding until she was satisfied. However, Beau continued to scream and wail, trying her best to slap Ovia’s hands away.

“She’s certainly a fighter,” Ovia declared once she was finished. “And healthy too. Surprising, considering you found her out in the forest. We’ll need to find someone who will take care of her. Tormund and Ashildr’s youngest boy recently went to build a home with his wife. They might take her.”

Suddenly the realization that Beau might be taken away gripped Yasha. Eyes wide, she looked to her wife. Zuala looked back with an amused look, one brow raised and her lips quirking. Leaning her head in Ovia’s direction, Zuala silently encouraged her.

“We,” She paused, unused to speaking to someone other than Zuala. She knew Zuala would understand her even if she was awkward, but other people she wasn’t so sure. “We could take care of her.”

Ovia looked both Yasha and Zuala up and down with a critical gaze. “You’ll have to talk to her. Children learn language from their parents first.” Yasha found herself nodding feeling hopeful. “And you’ll need to be prepared to spend plenty of time with her,” Ovia placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward, almost threateningly. “I know how much you like your alone time, Yasha.”

Yasha felt her cheeks tint a bit red, but she continued to nod. “I understand. I may,” She paused. “Find it difficult at first, but I’m sure Zuala will help me.” She felt Zuala lean into her side and nod, seemingly satisfying Ovia.

“Fine, fine,” Ovia spun on her heel and returned to Beau and began to dress her, grabbing a proper cloth diaper from a basket under the examining table. “If you’re so determined you can take her, but if you need help, don’t be the stubborn mule I know you are and ask for help.” Yasha’s cheeks burned more, but she couldn’t help smiling as Zuala began chuckling at her expense.

“I’ll give you some of the diapers I have here. Wash them well and be sure to let them dry completely before using them again.” As she dressed Beau and swaddled her back into the blankets, Ovia quickly listed off the basics of childrearing. Food, baths, diaper changing, talking and spending time with her. Yasha felt her head was spinning with all the new information.

It didn’t end until they were being shoved back out the door, Beau once again strapped to Zuala’s chest, and a bag full of diapers and several bottles of some kind of baby food mixture shoved into Yasha’s arms. Yasha and Zuala shared a look, both trying to come to terms with the life changing decision they’d just made.

“I guess we’re parents now.” Zuala murmured, a smile tugging at her lips.

“I guess we are.” Yasha felt herself smiling as well. Leaning over, she tugged the blankets away from Beau’s face and cooed. “We’re your parents now, yes we are.” Zuala laughed, elbowing her gently in the side.

“You’re ridiculous.” She tugged at Yasha’s arm. “Come on, time to get little Beauregard home.”

Yasha followed without resistance, an uncontrollable smile on her face. She was a parent, she had a wife she loved, and they had a daughter they were about to take home officially for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come obsess about D&D with me over on tumblr @GillyTweed

**Author's Note:**

> Come chill with me over on tumblr (even tho it's lowkey dead) @GillyTweed


End file.
